Exhortation to help Israel's poor; the money collection;
honesty before men as well as before God

In the next chapter the apostle (being on his way to Judea)
exhorts the Corinthians to prepare relief for the poor of Israel;
sending Titus that all might be ready as of a willing mind -- a
disposition of which he had spoken on his journey as existing among
these Christians, so that others had been stirred up to give
likewise. And now, while reckoning upon their goodwill, and knowing
that they had begun a year before. he would run no risk of finding
that facts gave the lie to what he had said of them. Not that he
would burden the Corinthians and ease those of Judea, but that the
rich should provide for the need of the poor brethren, in order
that none should be in want. Every one, if his will were in it,
should be accepted of God according to his ability. He loved a
cheerful giver. Only they should reap according as they
sowed. Titus, happy at the result of his first visit, and attached
to the Corinthians, was ready to go again and gather this fruit
also for their own blessing. With him went the messengers of the
other churches, charged with the collection made among them for the
same purpose -- a brother known to all the churches, and another of
approved diligence, stimulated by Paul's confidence in the
Corinthians. The apostle would not take charge of the money without
having companions whose charge it should also be, avoiding all
possibility of reproach in affairs of this kind, taking care that
everything should be honest before men as well as before God.
Nevertheless he did not speak by commandment in all this, but on
account of the zeal of other churches, and to prove the sincerity
of their love.

It will be remembered that it was this collection which
occasioned all that happened to Paul at Jerusalem -- that which put
an end to his ministry, stopped him on his way into Spain, and
perhaps other places; and which, on the other hand, gave occasion
to write the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
Philemon, and, it may be, to the Hebrews. How little we know the
bearing of the circumstances we enter upon, happy that we are led
by Him who knows the end from the beginning, and who makes all
things work for good to those who love Him! Corinthians 9.

The happy and manifold effects of practical charity

In closing those exhortations to give according to their
ability, he commends them to the rich goodness of God, who was able
to make them abound in all things, so that they should be in
circumstances to multiply their good works, enriched to all
bountifulness, so as to produce in others (by means of the
apostle's services in this respect) thanksgiving unto God. For, he
adds, the happy effect of your practical charity, exercised in the
name of Christ, would not only supply the want of the saints
(through his administration of the collection made at Corinth) but
abound also in thanksgiving to God; for, those who received it
blessed God that their benefactors had been brought to confess the
name of Christ, and to act with this practical liberality to them
and to all. And this thought stirred them up to pray with fervent
desire for those who provided in this way for their need, because
of the grace of God manifested in them. Thus the bonds of eternal
charity were strengthened on both sides, and glory redounded to
God. Thanks be to God, says the apostle, for His unspeakable gift;
for whatsoever may be the fruits of grace, we have the proof and
the power in that which God has given. Here ends the matter of the
epistle properly so called.